ALCOA, Tenn. – Al Gore’s team yesterday denied any role in the 11th-hour revelation that George W. Bush got busted in Maine in 1976 for driving under the influence.

“They should stop pointing fingers of blame at everyone and begin taking responsibility for the governor’s own actions,” Gore spokesman Chris Lehane told The Post.

Lehane, who was raised in Maine, also denied any personal role in the leak by Portland, Maine, lawyer Tom Connolly, who was a Gore delegate to the 2000 Democratic convention.

As for a report that Lehane’s sister, Portland lawyer Erin Lehane, was involved, Lehane said: “Next they’ll be saying my sister was the arresting officer.”

The Associated Press reported that Gore, concerned about a potential backlash, asked at least two senior aides if they had played any role in the revelation and both denied it.

Barbara Raths, a spokeswoman for the Maine Democratic Party, denied any involvement, saying: “This is something that this guy [Connolly] did on his own.”

Jenny Backus, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, said the party didn’t leak any information about Bush’s arrest. She said the party investigates public records but added she wasn’t sure if anyone at the DNC knew about the arrest.

Meanwhile, when Gore was asked about Republican claims that he, too, might have been arrested for drunken driving, the veep told KCCI-TV: “Absolutely false. I’ve had speeding tickets, but no. Absolutely not.”

Gore wrapped up the day on his home turf in Tennessee, where polls show him neck-and-neck with Bush and in need of energizing his base to avoid losing the state that knows him best.

While Bush tried to calm down the brewing storm of questions over his drinking episode – and whether he lied to cover it up – Gore on the stump slammed the Texas governor for bumbling about Social Security.

On Thursday, Bush said: “What [does Gore] think . . . Social Security is some kind of a federal program?” In fact, Social Security is a federal program.

“Do you want to entrust the Oval Office to somebody who doesn’t even know what Social Security is?” Gore asked in Iowa.

CAMPAIGN SNAPSHOT

GORE

CATCH PHRASE OF THE DAY

“We’ve got to decide which fork are we going to take,” said Gore, who likes to quote Yankees and Mets manager Yogi Berra, who once said “when you see a fork in the road, take it.”

WHERE HE WENT

Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, MO; outdoor rally at Iowa State University in Ames, IO; McGhee-Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tenn.; late flight to Memphis, Tenn.

WHAT HE WORE

Dark suit, red tie, white shirt, black loafers.

CANDIDATE’S MOOD

Rising fast, fueled by the struggle at Team Bush, the Veep was in high spirits yesterday – though he’s spending the night in Tennessee when he ought to be stumping elsewhere.

HOW IT’S PLAYING

Gore, once again joined by one of his daughters, Kristin, makes a good play for voters in Iowa, a small but critical battleground state.

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BUSH

CATCH PHRASE OF THE DAY

“Dirty politics,” Bush said about his DWI bust.

WHERE HE WENT

Grand Rapids and Saginaw, MI; Morgantown, V.W.; Detroit, MI

WHAT HE WORE

Navy suit, white shirt, red tie

CANDIDATE’S MOOD

Muted, strained

HOW IT’S PLAYING

A stump on military preparedness made Michigan crowds restless, but Grand Rapids loved Bush when he said he learned from mistakes